The Utah Jazz get another opportunity to beat the Golden State Warriors, which they have failed to do in two chances this season. Both the Jazz and the Warriors are riding win streaks, but only one of these unbeaten run is going to continue past Thursday.
Catch this game live on Thursday, February 10, at aa AM, Manila time
Away: Golden State Warriors (41-13/16-9 on the road)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Stephen Curry
- SG: Jordan Poole
- SF: Andrew Wiggins
- PF: Jonathan Kuminga
- C: Kevon Looney
It’s been smooth sailing for the Warriors since late January. By taking care of business in a 110-98 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road last Tuesday, Golden State has managed to extend its unbeaten run to nine games. The Warriors’ chances of scoring their 10th win in a row this Thursday is looking great based on the fact that they have already defeated Utah twice this season. The Warriors trounced Utah on Jan. 2 (123-116) in their very first game of 2022. Weeks later, the Jazz visited the Bay Area and suffered a 94-92 home loss to Golden State on Jan. 24.
Stephen Curry was out of his element in that game, going only 5/20 from the field and 1/13 from deep for just 13 points. Fortunately for the Warriors, Jordan Poole stepped up and finished with a team-high 20 points. The Warriors are going to need Poole to be just as effective again, with Klay Thompson ruled out for Thursday’s game. And with the Jazz still missing the injured Rudy Gobert, the Warriors will have one less huge problem to solve in this upcoming contest. Golden State travels to Salt Lake City with a 3-1-1 record against the spread in its last five games away from Oakland.
Home: Utah Jazz (33-21/18-10 at home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Mike Conley
- SG: Donovan Mitchell
- SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
- PF: Royce O’Neal
- C: Hassan Whiteside
The Jazz are on the rise again. Following a horrible stretch that saw Utah lose 11 of 13 games, the Jazz have managed to stitch together three straight victories, including their 113-104 home win against the New York Knicks last Tuesday. Playing in his second game back from a stint in the concussion protocol, Donovan Mitchell exploded in the Knicks game for 32 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 20 points. Mitchell was not around the last time the Jazz shared the court with Golden State, and he will look to make up for that absence when he steps on the floor Thursday.
Mitchell is on quite a roll, having scored 59 points on 58.3 FG% and knocked down eight 3-pointers on 17 attempts in his last two games. Despite missing Gobert, the Jazz have turned it up on defense over the past few games. Utah has allowed just 103.3 points to their last three opponents while recording a 10th-ranked defensive rating of 108.4 during that same span. The Jazz should be able to capitalize on Warriors turnovers. Golden State has been sloppy with the leather, as evidenced by the fact that it’s turned the ball over an average of 14.8 over its last five contests. The Under is 7-0 in Utah’s last seven games as the favorite.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread:
The Warriors have enjoyed much success this February by capitalizing on a weak schedule littered with lottery-bound opponents. It’s a different story this Thursday for Golden State with a road game versus the dangerous Jazz. Taking the Jazz for a win and cover (-2.5)
Over/Under: This game is going to be fireworks. Looking for an Over (219.5) hit in this game.
